Gate for exit-passages of railway-cars



(N0 Model.)

J. H. POX. GATE FOR EXIT PASSAGES 0P RAILWAY CARS.

No. 445,809. Patented Peb.3,1891.

I FlV-EFJ'TU I=\. Wag??? passengers enter or leave.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()EEICE.

JOHN H. FOX, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

GATE FOR EXlT-PASSAGES OF RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,809, dated February3, 1891. Application filed December 1, 1390- Serial No. 373,162. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN II. FOX, of Boston,

in the county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain Improvements in the Construction of Gates or Guards forExit-Passages of Railway-Cars, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to certain modifications of the improvements ingates or appliances to be attached to the sides of railwaycars toprevent passengers from getting off upon the side on which such gatesare closed or placed in proper position, described and claimed in myapplication, Serial No. 361,907 and it consists of a bar or tube whichextends, preferably, horizontally across the width of the openings orexit-passages at the steps of the car, and which is suspended by cordsor chains attached thereto at each end or at other suitable intervalsalong its length, which cords extend upward to and over pulleys attachedto the frame of the car above or near the top of said exit-passages. Theother ends of said cords may be attached to counterweights, which forconvenience and safety should be inclosed in a box extendingup at theside of the car, or such cords may pass around a sheave, to the axis ofwhich one end of a helical or other suitable lifting-spring may beattached, the other end being made fast to a rigid portion of the car.

This invention is especially useful in guard in g exit-openin gs ofstreet-railway cars which are used during the summer season, commonlyknown as open cars, having a number of openings along either side atwhich XVhen applied to such open cars, I prefer to place the guardrailupon the inside of the roof-supporting posts and attach the pulley orsheave over which the supporting cord or chain passes upon the inside ofthe roof-frame, where also the box to contain the lifting-spring may belocated, and when using the weight as counterpoise to the guardrail theweight-box may be attached to one side of said posts at either end ofthe car.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a sideelevation of an open street-car with my improved guardrail attachedthereto. Fig. 2 is an end view of such car. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailshowing the manner of attaching the rod which is intended to guard thepassage at either end of the car between the dasher and the last seat.Fig. 4 is a detail showing a plan view of a portion of the guard-railwith an eyebolt attached to it, which runs upon a guide-rod fastenedupon the side of one of the roof-supporting posts, which is shown insection. Fig. 5 is a detail showing the socket and spring-latch, whichmay be used to hold the extensible portion of the guard-rail to thedasher.

Referring to the drawings, A is the guardrail; B, the suspending cordsor chains; 0, the

pulleys or sheaves attached to the upper portion D of the car, and overwhich the cord B runs, witha weight E attached to its other end, and Fthe box in which the weights run.

G, in Fig. 2, is the lifting-spring, which may be used in place of theweight E.

II are the roof-supporting posts of the car, and upon the sides of oneor more of them I attach a guide-rod I, Figs. 1 and at, upon which theeyebolt i, fastened to the guard-rail A, slides when the guard-rail ispushed up or pulled down.

In order that the portion of the guard-rail which is to extend acrossthe openings at either end of the car between the last seat and thedasher may be readily and conveniently removed from a position whichmight inconvenience the driver or conductor when the guard-rail A israised, I preferably make said guard-rail of a pipe or tube and insertat either end a rod Ct, Figs. 1 and 3. I make the rod or of smallerdiameter than the diameter of the opening through the tube used as theguard-rail. I attach a shoulder 7t to the inner end of said rod andsecure aplug Zinto the end of said tube with an. opening through it ofthe same diameter as that of the rod a. Thus said rod a may be pushedinto the guard rail tube when that rail is to be raised to the top ofthe car, and may be drawn out from the end of the guard-rail tube whenit is pulled down to the position shown in the drawings. I also attachto the outer end of the rod to either a hook or catch an, to engage with"an eye or staple upon the dasher, or make a notch in the end of the rodand hold it in a 9 eeasoe socket 'n by a latch o. The strength of thespring G and the size of the weights E should be sufficiently great to alittle more than counterbalance the guard-rail, so that when 5 releasedfrom the fastenings at the dasher it will rise to the top of the carwithout assistance from the conductor or driver. \Vhen drawn down to theposition shown in the drawings; it will be held in place by the hooks 10or catches at the dasher, or hooks may be attached to one or more of theposts II to hold the rail down.

I claiIn 1. In combination with the exit-passages I 5 of a railway-car,a gate or guard-rail sustained by flexible supports which extend overpulleys upon the car at the upper end of said passages, a catch or hookto hold the guardrail in its protective position, and counter- 20weights or springs attached to said flexible supports to draw theguard-rail upward when released from the catch, substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination with the exit-passages of a railway-car, a guard-railprovided with telescopic joints, and two or more sustainingcordsconnected with said rail and with a counterpoise therefor, substantiallyas described.

3. In combination with the exit-passages of a railway-car, a gate orguard-rail provided with one or more extensible sections, guidesattached to the side of the car to direct the guard-rail to and from itsprotective position, and a latch to secure the end of each extensiblesection to a rigid portion of the car, substantially as described.

JOHN H. FOX.

Witnesses:

.T. L. BELFLER, T. J. CUNNINGHAM.

